Mike Seccombe Elevated to Resources minister after Matt Canavan’s resignation, Keith Pitt has moved quickly – announcing a feasibility study into a new coalmine.

Karen Middleton A $100 million grants program, established by the government ahead of the 2019 election, was restricted to 25 preselected projects, most of them in key seats for the Coalition.

Peter Milne The sale of a Woodside offshore oil vessel to a fledgling company that has since gone belly up could potentially see taxpayers footing a huge decommissioning bill.

Clem Bastow After charming both critics and viewers with Please Like Me, Josh Thomas made the move to Los Angeles. He speaks about the series he made in his new city, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay – a show that breaks ground in its portrayal of young autistic women. “I think having teenage girls in a show forces you into sweeter territory. The conceit of the show is so sweet, so I guess the story and the characters and the situation kinda made that decision for me.”

Megan Davis It is likely that this case has excited such interest, and in some cases quite hysterical and exaggerated analysis, because it involves the terms “Aboriginal people” and the “High Court of Australia”. Anything “Aboriginal” intersecting with the Australian law animates a nation that has not yet addressed its original grievance.

Paul Bongiorno When a prime minister has to appeal for unity in his ranks, not one but two weeks running, you know there isn’t any. And the awful reality for Scott Morrison is that he’s got one hand tied behind his back as he tries to restore the promised stability in the Coalition. The fate of his government lies with the fractious Nationals, and there is no prospect of the divisions racking the junior Coalition partner healing any time soon.

Richard Ackland Pensioners were excited to get letters last month from Centrelink asking for details of their “account-based income stream/s”. After spending hours of research working out what is meant by “account-based income stream/s”, it turns out, basically, to be payments from superannuation funds. The information had to be given to Centrelink by February 6, otherwise “your payment may be stopped”.

There is something in the Australian psyche that craves punishment. Perhaps it is in the fact that White Australia began as a penal colony. Perhaps there is a deeper thread of inferiority and submission in the British settlement. Whatever it is, the society we have is an orderly one – deeply so. We created the myth of the larrikin so we might feel less bad about our deference to power. He is a sort of court jester who makes the draconian more comfortable.

Tim Rushby-Smith This summer’s bushfire crisis has had a profound impact on people with disabilities, highlighting the urgent need for changes to the national disability strategy.

Jonathan Pearlman Chinese citizens question government response to COVID-19. Amy Klobuchar emerges as serious contender in US Democratic primaries. Indonesia and Australia sign free trade deal. Sinn Féin’s success in Irish elections.

Lisa Radford Using dance, Shelley Lasica’s ongoing collaborative project The Design Plot maps the space between the performers and the audience, examining the macro and the micro as part of a whole.

Brodie Lancaster Tame Impala’s long-delayed fourth album, The Slow Rush, reckons with the passing of time and the value of solitude. It’s well worth the wait.

Paul Kelly

Annie Smithers

Cat Rodie While Britain introduces cervical cancer tests that women can self-administer at home, Australian experts are looking at new ways of increasing screening rates and reducing the risk of contracting this largely preventable disease.

Linda Pearce Winning the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship catapulted Hannah Green up the world rankings and into contention for the Tokyo Olympics. The rising star talks about her hunger for further success.

Cindy MacDonald Test your general knowledge with our weekly quiz.